Highlights from the February 2026 board meeting

Dear Colleagues,

Last Thursday, we celebrated a significant milestone with the ribbon-cutting of our new Health Sciences Center, followed by the two-day quarterly meeting of the Texas Woman’s University System Board of Regents. It was a full and energizing close to the week for our university.

Below are a few highlights (full recording on the Board of Regents website).

Health Sciences Center Ribbon-Cutting

The celebration of the new Health Sciences Center brought together legislators who championed the $100 million in state funding, generous donors, faculty leaders, deans, elected officials, first responders who protected the building during the July fire, media and—most importantly—our students.

Hearing students reflect on their early experiences in this innovative interprofessional learning environment reminded everyone in attendance why these years of planning and building matter. Following the building ribbon-cutting, we also dedicated the Margienetta R. Norris Lactation Room and the Neva Hudiburgh Cochran Wellness Kitchen. The latter included a cooking demonstration by alumna Michelle Tribble, winner of Hell’s Kitchen (2018). The entire morning was a powerful demonstration of outcomes and impact.

Enrollment Trends and Student Success

Despite a challenging statewide recruitment environment, TWU achieved 1.2% overall enrollment growth, driven by gains in undergraduate and master’s populations.

Current Strategies: Our soft launch of the Common App has already generated more than 330 applications in its first two weeks, providing an important complement to ApplyTexas. We are expanding on-site new student orientations at Dallas College, North Central Texas College, Collin College, and Houston City College to strengthen transfer pathways. [00:10:29]
Student Loan Debt & Social Mobility: Dr. Javier Flores provided a comprehensive overview of federal and private loan structures, recent federal policy changes, and TWU’s institutional data. Notably, approximately 44% of our undergraduate students and nearly 40% of our graduate students graduate with no student loan debt. TWU’s average debt levels remain below peer institutions, while our graduation rates and post-graduation earnings meet or exceed national midpoints—reinforcing our strong performance on the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and our continued recognition as a leader in social mobility. [0:27:00]

University Advancement and Alumni Engagement

University Advancement continues to build strong philanthropic momentum as we enter the final year of the Dream Big campaign.

Fundraising Momentum: We closed the second quarter at $6 million raised. The Dream Big campaign now stands at approximately $170 million from more than 18,500 donors, with the campaign concluding at the end of this year. [0:45:08]
Foundation Leadership & Team Growth: Four new Foundation Board members have joined, strengthening expertise in finance, healthcare, and industry. We have also expanded advancement staffing, including a dedicated development presence in Houston to support regional growth.[0:46:32]
Alumni Engagement Expansion: The Alumni House has been reestablished as a formal Alumni Center, creating a dedicated gathering space on the Denton campus. Alumni engagement efforts are expanding across Denton, Dallas, and Houston, with renewed focus on chapter development and academic affinity groups. [0:49:41]
Giving Day: A new university-wide Giving Day on April 16 aims to raise at least $125,000 for direct student support initiatives. [0:56:09]
Campaign Closing & Public Art Legacy: Planning is underway for the Dream Big Festival (October 19–24), culminating in a campus-wide celebration and the unveiling of a permanent public art installation honoring campaign donors—an enduring, visible tribute to philanthropic impact across all three campuses. [1:02:27]

Academic Innovation, Workforce Alignment, and Compliance

Provost Bauer, the deans, and the faculty continue to align our academic portfolio with the needs of the Texas economy.

Engineering: Planning remains on schedule for an August 2027 launch of a new mechanical engineering program, potentially including a biomedical concentration. The proposed model integrates leadership development and just-in-time mathematics coursework. [3:13:53]
Preparing mental health professionals: We are strengthening our contribution to the state’s mental health workforce needs through expanded academic pathways and clinical training capacity. [3:24:30]
Report on Curriculum Review and Senate Bill 37 Implementation: We have completed 60% of our review of course titles, descriptions, and learning outcomes to ensure clarity, academic balance, and compliance, with completion targeted for fall 2026. Separately, implementation of SB37 remains on track. [3:36:03]
General Education Review Framework: Provost Bauer outlined a proposed framework to comply with SB37, which requires the Board of Regents to conduct a comprehensive review of the university’s general education curriculum at least every five years. A cross-functional committee—composed of faculty, academic leaders, and external industry representatives—will evaluate the curriculum to ensure it remains foundational, workforce-relevant, cost-conscious, and aligned with accreditor expectations, with implementation targeted for fall 2027. [3:45:43]

Institutional Culture and Student Success

Excellence at TWU extends well beyond the classroom.

TWU Athletics: The athletics program received the NCAA Presidents’ Award with a 90% Academic Success Rate. Our basketball program currently ranks #2 nationally and holds a historic 19-game winning streak. The outstanding report ended with a highlight on TWU Soccer’s historic season. [0:41:43]
Veterans Center: Texas Woman’s now serves more than 900 active military and veteran students, dependents, and spouses. TWU continues its Military-Friendly designation and earns, for the first time, the Military Friendly Spouse School designation. [1:47:59]
Bezos Academy: The tuition-free, Montessori-inspired Bezos Academy preschool on our Denton campus is actively recruiting staff and enrolling students, with applications due April 20 and the lottery on April 27. [0:30:20]
Staff Council Engagement and Recognition: Staff Council continues to advance its theme, “You matter, you belong, and you inspire,” through leadership engagement, professional development grants, and systemwide recognition initiatives. This year, more than $5,000 in professional development grants will support staff growth, while expanded responsibility for university-level staff awards and campuswide community-building events across Denton, Dallas, and Houston reinforce the essential role staff play in TWU’s culture and success. [1:16:09]

Project Thrive: Institutional Health and Sustainability

Project Thrive will position Texas Woman’s for resilience and responsible growth by focusing on two priorities. [2:55:59]

Ensuring academic programs are financially sustainable and contribute to long-term institutional stability; and
Strengthening a transparent, data-informed culture for programmatic and financial decision-making.

Strategic Operations

The board approved several measures that will continue to modernize our infrastructure and student experience.

Financial Aid Modernization: A $3.6 million, five-year investment in Oracle Student Financial Planning will replace our 1992 legacy system and significantly improve service for students and staff. [1:36:45]
Athletic Complex: The project budget was revised to $30 million to reflect our rapid growth and the needs of our student-athletes. Philanthropic support will be essential to advancing this project. [1:44:30]
Capital Structure: Approval to authorize a bond issuance to support, principally, the new building for the Merilee Alexander Kick College of Business and Entrepreneurship and the Athletic Complex. [1:52:41]
Research Grants and Sponsored Programs: The university accepted $650,351 in external grants this quarter—down from $2,161,364 during the same period last year—reflecting delays associated with the federal government shutdown at the end of 2025. Importantly, TWU submitted 31 federal proposals across the first two quarters of FY26, totaling more than $22 million, with 29 currently pending. This strong pipeline positions the university for a significant rebound as federal processing resumes and awards are announced. [2:00:22]

Growth in Dallas and Houston

Our system expansion continues, moving from vision to implementation.

Dallas: In her final board presentation, President Monica Christopher outlined progress toward doubling enrollment per the TWU Dallas strategic plan, including a feasibility study for an embedded associate degree model following a national Come to Believe model. [1:13:11]
Houston: A new five-year plan sets a goal of 2,500 students, with emphasis on high-demand degrees connected to the Texas Medical Center but also focused beyond its current campus footprint. [1:26:26]

Leadership Updates

The board welcomed David Jennings as student regent, serving out the remainder of the 2025-26 term. [0:11:41]
Dr. Timothy Hoye, professor of political science emeritus, was honored following 48 years of distinguished service. [0:15:04]
The board also welcomed Dr. Amy Koerber as the incoming dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, granting tenure in English, Rhetoric, and Spanish upon her arrival in June. [0:17:47]
President Monica Christopher was bid a warm farewell on her last day at TWU Dallas. [0:19:31]
In my presentation to the board, I offered a redux of a lecture shared with faculty and staff a decade ago, “TWU within the Context of Higher Education.” [1:59:50]

In summary, Texas Woman’s is not simply growing; we are evolving with intention. We are modernizing our systems, expanding into high-demand fields, strengthening financial sustainability, and reaffirming our commitment to opportunity and excellence that advance our graduates’ social mobility.

As we celebrate our 125th anniversary, I am reminded that each generation inherits the responsibility to steward this institution forward. Thank you for the role you play in that work every day.

With a pioneering spirit,

Carine M. Feyten, Ph.D.
Chancellor and President

Page last updated 2:57 PM, March 13, 2026